AutoInsurance.com, a division of Fort Lee, N.J.-based Tranzutary Insurance Solutions, a licensed property and casualty insurance agency, was created after Walmart realized there was an opportunity for a quicker service where shoppers can buy and save on car insurance that provides the final price -- with no bait and switch tactics. Walmart says car insurance is among the biggest monthly expenses for customers, and for some, it can outpace health care costs.

In a Tuesday briefing with the media, Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of services for Walmart U.S., said the Bentonville, Ark.-based discounter will be AutoInsurance.com's exclusive retail partner and receive promotion payments in its role as marketer. AutoInsurance.com will earn a commission every time a policy is sold.

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"Our customers too often have to settle for auto insurance policies that aren't the best fit and cost more than they want to spend," Eckert said.

The strategy marks Walmart's latest flirtation with insurance marketing and also highlights how the retailer is trying to use its size to expand beyond food and other staples into a one-stop shopping destination as it seeks to bring in more shoppers to its site and its stores. Walmart plans to promote the insurance shopping service in its stores.

Last month, Walmart introduced a new money transfer service that it says will cut fees for its low-income customers by up to 50 percent compared with similar services elsewhere. That service is being rolled out in partnership with Ria Money Transfer, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide (EEFT).

Joshua Kazam, founder of AutoInsurance.com and the founder and chairman of Tranzutary, noted that 90 percent of people compare prices online for products and services like airline tickets, but its survey shows that only one in five comparison-shop for auto insurance because it's a complicated process.

Walmart has had a relationship with Kazam, an entrepreneur, and his partners that dates back several years. For example, in 2009 Kazam and his team partnered with Walmart to bring PetArmor, a generic version of a popular flea and tick preventative treatment, to Walmart customers. Kazam founded Velcera, which created the PetArmor brand and was acquired last year by Perrigo (PRGO). But recently, Walmart has been working with Kazam in improving the experience related to insurance products.

In 2012, Walmart tested a program with Tranzutary to sell prepaid MetLife (MET) insurance policies in 217 stores in Georgia and South Carolina. Then last April, it launched a test program in Pennsylvania where customers who purchased policies from AutoInsurance.com reported annual savings on their insurance of $1,168, on average. At the same time, it displayed kiosks in Illinois where shoppers could pick up a saving card that offered a discount on a new auto insurance policy sold through Esurance.

Walmart decided that focusing on a price comparison service was the way to go.

It works this way: customers log on to the site and provide their name, address, date of birth and contact information. They can also have the site retrieve their current auto insurance policy, allowing AutoInsurance.com to automatically fill in the necessary coverage information for an apples-to-apples comparison. The free service offers customers multiple quotes from some of the leading national insurance carriers like Esurance, Safeco, and Progressive (PGR) within minutes.

Customers can choose to either purchase the policy online immediately, speak with a licensed agent at 800-700-7500 or save the information and purchase later.

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You're doing your health a favor by drinking water rather than soda. But if you're buying bottled water, you're not doing your wallet or the environment a favor. According to the International Bottle Water Association, Americans spent $11.8 billion on bottled water in 2012. Considering that the average cost per bottle is $1.45 and the average consumer buys 167 bottles a year, you'll spend more than $240 a year on bottled water at that rate. For the cost of just a few disposable bottles of water you can buy a reusable bottle that you can fill and carry with you wherever you go.

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Energy vampires –- electronics that draw power even when they're not in use –- cost Americans almost $10 billion a year and account for almost 11 percent of all U.S. energy use, according to the EPA. If you want to avoid unplugging all of your electronics when they're not in use, you can buy an inexpensive power strip that several things can be plugged into and turned off with the flip of a switch. The Smart Strip Power Strip ($25 and up) will automatically shut off computer peripherals, such as printers and scanners, when not in use. And the Belkin Conserve Smart AV ($29.99) automatically shuts off components, such as a gaming console, receiver and speakers, when you turn off your TV.

i worked for wal mart for 10 years , and if this insurance thing is anything like the insurance they offer their associates its gonna suck big time . i i know its auto insurance ...however they have to have a ton of people sign up up for it for it to work at a low cost . and the one poster who said if wal mart ever offers health insurance ...stay away from that for as i said their health insurance sucks . now their dental and life insurance they offer their associates is kinda okay .

I really don't get this one. The insurance agency in Fort Lee NJ that Walmart is using has annual revenues of 210,000 and 3 employees. Huh? Now, this is a growth opportunity for whoever these dudes are!

If NOBODY knows ALl of these companies on this site base a HUGE part of the price on your CREDIT. No exceptions, your CREDIT is more heavily weighted than your drivving record. These companies dont want you if you have no prior insurance and bad credit. This wont work. I am an insurance agent, this is a FACT !

Walmart is the shopping center for the poor. People who cannot manage a bank account use Walmart for their banking transaction. they pay bills and buy pre-paid banking cards to do their business. Tehy pay high fees to process their checks, government paymetns and so forth. Most of them have trouble managing money because they had no examples of it in their younger days. They repeat the same mistakes that have been made for generations and Walmart is smart enough to take advantage of it.

Here's thu facts: I have been driving something for sixty years. As a retired air force pilot, I was licensed to fly anything. As a retired state trooper, I drove a lot... fast. And then I drove a cab for fifteen years. That's pushing four million miles... with no accidents. But now I am really retired and I drive maybe 25 or 30 miles a week. And still I have to pay seventy bucks a month for basic liability insurance. WallyWorld, here I come!

Lets see how the big ins. companies try to stop this. They all make billions of dollars every year.If they have big losses, they just raise everyones rates.Plenty of price fixing going on in the industry.